For anyone who may wonder about safety of production electric cars, assuming their engineering is otherwise sound, their extra heft often lets them excel in such tests compared to similarly sized vehicles.

Adding its name to Nissan Altima and Infiniti M37/M56 on the 2013 list, Nissan reiterated its commitment to the Leaf.

“Driver and passenger safety are top priorities for Nissan and the ‘Top Safety Pick’ designation by IIHS reflects the design and innovation that have gone into this car to make it a practical, no-compromise electric vehicle,” said Erik Gottfried, Nissan’s director of electric vehicle sales and marketing. “The new, U.S.-assembled 2013 Nissan LEAF provides customers with a remarkable level of value, comfort and security at prices competitive with gas-powered cars in a fun-to-drive package.”